In my time as a film fan, I've seen countless tales of drugs and poverty. Whether it may be the masterpiece that is Lukas Moodysson’s Lilja-4-ever from 2002 or Jerry Schatzberg’s powerhouse film The Panic in Needle Park, I've always found the sub-genre to be one of the most fascinating and powerful in all of cinema. They depict life in the most explosive ways, with graphic imagery and some truly relentless storytelling and tend to be films that are sure…

If there’s one thing I admire about Michael Haneke, it’s his ability to hold on a shot and give it unthinkable power. Constantly throughout The Piano Teacher he incorporates these long takes to amplify the isolation of his characters, something which can only initially be identified through his dialogue. It’s raw, insatiable and patient. He builds a force of ferocity with it, introducing characters as pure or unknown and transferring them into the destructive presence we see them as at…